Stroke Like Symtoms, Intermittent Loss of speech & Balance

[Likesjewellry]

About 1 1/2 yrs. ago, I started experiencing, at the age of 49, severe vertigo, visual problems, nausea and left sided weakness. I was tested for everything imaginable, no diagnosis and yet I went from being physically fit and a chef, to bedridden and sleeping 20 hours a day, because of all the gravol I had to take to get some general relief of my symptoms.  

This past February, still holed up in the house, I experienced the normal 'weakness' on my left side but it progressed to total paralysis, inability to speak and inability to swallow.  My husband gave me an aspirin when he realized I couldn't respond to him and took me to the hospital 5 min. from our home.  I was treated as a stroke patient and sent to the downtown Toronto Stroke Centre.  Unfortunately, by the time I arrive by ambulance, (about 3 hrs. later), it was too late to administer the 'stroke buster' shot that was planned.  After about 4 hours, slowly, I began to regain feeling in my left fingers and forearm.  I felt a burning/pins & needles sensation and within that time frame, my speech started coming back, though slurry and jumbled.  I ended up being sent back to my original hospital when in the ambulance, the whole episode started again.  It was like that, back and forth, speaking, drooling, paralysis until the next day around noon.  Again, every test was done (MRI, CT scan), 3 times, looking for the cause.

I am now much better and not needing nearly the amount of gravol that I used to but I cannot drive because I have lost my depth perception, ability to judge speed or distance, and am clumsy.  I walked 5 blocks a few days ago for the first time in 1 1/2 yrs., without staggering and bumping into things beside me.   I am still not able to go into busy stores or large box stores because within about 10 - 15 minutes, I start to develop the vision problems, balance problems and become sick to my stomach.  I can't tell you how this has affected my life.  I have a loving supportive family and good friends, though I don't see people often.  Watching people talk, their hands move, or trying to have a conversation in a large group sets the whole thing off.  I really don't understand any of this.

I am 50 1/2.  I am going through menopause, had some problem with depression after my kids in my thirties, and agreed after thorough testing that perhaps a neuropsychiatrist was an option.  My doctor felt perhaps it is emotionally based.  I agreed because I am willing to expore every avenue.  The doctor I am seeing is wonderful.  My husband comes with me to my sessions which are too far for me to get to on my own, waits for me, consults with the neuro doc and we sit in together and talk about things.  I truly am a happy person at this time in my life.  My girls are grown and successful, my relationship is great and I am basically free of burdens.  What the heck is going on??

Is there anyone out there who has experienced such symptoms?  Right now, I need to go and get gravol, typing this letter has made me sick.  I have taken medicine for migraine but I am still seeing only spots of my screen and have pain in my temples, forehead, base of my neck and general woozy feeling.  When I am like this I would definitely not go out in public.  I would either be down on the ground after losing my balance completely or my field of vision would be moving and making me throw up. I am still suffering from loss of words, memory failure, jumbled words, and stuttering.

Help!

[Jazzoo]

comment no.2
right I've just made a total idiot out of myself ref. the last section about a good site ooh yeah just like this one, well I hope I made some people laugh if nothing else.
Now I've found this exceptionally good site I'm a little happier than I was before now I have somewhere to air my opinions etc. thanks.

[Jazzoo]

I too sufer with the symtoms you describe and have done for the last ten years, the slurred speach,the no control over your limbs and dizziness well that's the only word (dizziness)for it but it is more than dizziness as I'm sure everyone who as suffered these symtoms knows. I have not had a diagnosis  although I have had a number of tests, CT and MRI scans yet still nothing. It first happened "the dizziness" when I was about ten but only lasted for a couple of minutes there was nobody with me at the time and I never told anyone I stupidly thought that maybe it's something that happens when we are growing, Silly I know but I was just a child. From then until I was 21 it happened a number of times so many I lost count but each time lasting for no more than a few minutes although on a couple of occasions I can remember it lasting up to half an hour. Then when I was 21 it got bad and I was unable to stay at my current employment. I was living and working away and loving it until I got ill and had to return home. Back home for two years I had to work part time on and off as I could, doing work which I didn't want to do but had no choice there was only certain things I could manage which was very frustrating as I'm sure many of you will understand. Anyway then after two years I started to feel better for longer periods of time and I returned to the place where I had worked before I had gotten sick and for nearly four years I was fine and had mostly forgotten about the two years out of my life as I called it. But then the dizziness started to come back and at first I struggled on I wasn't going to give in without a fight. Well that lasted for more than a year and the majority of that time I was off work. It was 1999 at the end of October when I finally held up my hands and admited to myself that I would have to go back home again, I almost fell apart and I think it was just pure determination that held me together and still does. I know if my boss at the time was not so understanding then I would have lost my job a long time before I admited defeat. Well here I am it's august 2008 and I've not been able to work since 1999, Because of the mystery illness. There are a whole lot of other problems that come along with the illness as I'm sure some of you will have had to deal with and maybe don't need more drawl from me telling you about them. I think there are more people with this kind of problem than we realise and there should be a website which deals with this kind of thing and maybe people could chat and air there problems and opinions and feel less isolated the possibilities for such a site could be endless and maybe if no one else starts one then I will.What are your thoughts on such a website as much feedback as possible would be appriciated. I would just like to close by wishing everyone well and thanking likesjewellry for starting this topic.

[codycool]

hi i am haveing the same thingk happening to me i have for 16 years i also have really bad anxiety and  i hardley leave my home i am so afraid that i will have one outside of my home i can really feel for you and wish you well good luck

[gettingwellsoon]

All I can say is I've had similar problems over the years (dizziness, garbled speech, migraines, pain, weakness, fatigue and on and on) and am an otherwise very healthy 54-year-old.  I want to emphasize very healthy because there is nothing wrong with me that is life threatening, and I believe only one MD has diagnosed me correctly, and that is Dr. R. Paul Amand in the Los Angeles area (where I live).  When you see me mention Fibromyalgia, you might think wastebasket diagnosis, or that Fibromyalgia is only about 11 of 18 pain points to "qualify" for the diagnosis.  All I can say is, please visit www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com, and take time to read the site thoroughly.  You might find many of the symptoms listed, and, of course, some will overlap with other ailments people have, but I can't tell you the relief I've found with the Dr's protocol.  It takes time, but I'm seeing the results. Dr. St. Amand is an endocrinologist, teaches at UCLA and has been working with the City of Hope on Fibromyalgia (even he doesn't like that term, but it's what we have to work with right now).  I'm not prosletyzing, just sharing my own experience.  Good luck to you.  It's not easy, but hang in there!  

[lisa4185]

Hemiplegic migrianes I have them  they hurt very scary thing, My understanding very rare migriane. Does anyone have any info on them. Thanks

[Likesjewellry]

No. I haven't thought about that possibility. My youngest daughter started having very strange, 'epilepsy type' episodes, as a baby that continued on through adolescense. They ranged from mild focal 'seizures' to 'grand mal like' seizures'. She also had something the doctors said were 'alternating hemiplegic like seizures'. They never could get a diagnosis and thank god she grew up without intellectual diminishment as all kids do who experience the real seizure condition that she presented, but, it was a very scary life for all of us. Eventually a specialist in Montreal suggested it was an inherited form of migraine from both myself and her father...at the time I did not believe him. Now, I know better!